Victim said he didn’t believe in God, so his friend shot himBY JOEL THURTELLFREE PRESS STAFF WRITERhttp://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/CFP03/512290458December 29, 2005Arthur Shelton It was one of the five “most heinous” crimes Wayne County Circuit Judge Gregory Bill has ever seen.Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Christina Guirguis called it the “most gruesome” crime she’s ever prosecuted.On Dec. 20, Bill sentenced Arthur Eugene Shelton, 51, of Taylor to 25 to 45 years in prison for the Oct. 18, 2004, shotgun and revolver killing of Shelton’s friend, Larry Hooper.”He blew the guy’s head off,” said Shelton’s attorney, Seymour Schwartz.Following a three-day bench trial, Bill found Shelton guilty Nov. 30 of second-degree murder for killing Hooper in the living room of his Taylor home, where Hooper was staying.At 12:44 p.m. that October day, Shelton called Taylor police and told a dispatcher that he’d just blasted a man with a revolver and a shotgun because the man said he didn’t believe in God.The dead man was “the devil himself,” Shelton told the dispatcher.How many times did you shoot him? the dispatcher asked Shelton.”Hopefully, enough,” replied Shelton. “I want to make sure he’s gone.”Shelton fired four or five revolver bullets and at least three shotgun blasts into 62-year-old Hooper’s head, Guirguis said….Before the shooting, Hooper had told Shelton that Shelton couldn’t say anything to convince him to believe in God, according to policeShelton left the room, took off his shirt, shaved his face and tried again to convince Hooper there is a God. But at that point, Shelton had a 12-gauge shotgun.”How long would it take you to believe in God?” Shelton said he asked Hooper.”Not until I hear Gabriel blow his horn,” replied Hooper.Hooper tipped his hat and Shelton fired the shotgun at Hooper’s head.”I did it because he is evil; he was not a believer,” Shelton said.Later, Shelton told cops he might have second thoughts about the existence of God. “Maybe there’s not” a God, he said.But in his house that day, police could not persuade Shelton to come out the front door. He didn’t want to pass Hooper’s body because Hooper’s “evil soul” might jump into him, Shelton later said, according to Schwartz.Bill found him guilty of second-degree murder but mentally ill, Guirguis said.Schwartz said religion wasn’t the motive for the shooting.”Shelton was a nut,” said Schwartz.Copyright ? 2005 Detroit Free Press Inc.
Hey, I could fake it for amusement. I’m pretty good with voices.
Ha Ha! Gotcha, Preach! You should have seen the look on your face when I spit out that guacamole!
Don’t do Elmer Fudd. It’s a dead giveaway.
TIMx13:There are others with different variations, including worldnetdaily.com, whydoesgodhateamputees.com (serously), bible-prophecy.com, but this one seems to be an official account.
Thanks Tim for pointing out the existence of whydoesgodhateamputees.com to me! As a one legged atheist I found it to be priceless.
Alex.
“But aren’t you forgetting that violent xians are the exception and not the rule? This is a nation of laws, not of men. Xian or not, most people don’t like violence. It’s just the few that are that get the attention.”
Atheistatic, well that is the idea. However, laws are made by men. And men who are willing to place devotion on a code of ethics based on their religion will not find trouble with excusing others from committing atrocities in the name of the religion. Why? Because when it’s done in the name of the religion, it’s not seen as an atrocity, but rather a heroic act. Remember, killing off demon spirits? That’s all this man was doing. Purging the “evils”. This is very disturbing behavior to be wary of at all times. Left unchecked, religionists couldn’t care less.
Slimmins:
How many hit movies have been made about Atheists?
Now that I think about it, when has there ever been any movie character that was an atheist? A hero, I mean.
Even a minor character?
The flip side of demonic possession is known as divine obsession, if memory serves: some people actually believe that an angel (or even a saint/holy man) can take possession of someone.
1 movie to date, on that (tho they didn’t use the term: it may be obsolete by now), was Stigmata.
Scary ass shit, you ask me.
The Vodoun (Voodoo, the Haitian pronounciation) practitioners, actually advocate being possessed (the possessed are called ‘horses’, the spirits are called loas).
Strange, strange world.
Strange, strange species, humanity.
I find this (semi) amusing:
From the article -
“Later, Shelton told cops he might have second thoughts about the existence of God. “Maybe there’s not” a God, he said.”
Caveat Emptor, as they say.
Legally, or literally.
Only scary in the sense that anyone actually takes it seriously.
syllogism of the day…
People are nuts.
Christians are people.
Christians are nuts.
Seeker:
Hey, we’re ALL a little nuts.
There’s just varying degrees.
(Am I reading between the lines properly here?)
Ain’t that reductio ad absurdum? A then B – therefore C?
I’m so bad at recognizing those fallacies.
Careful about positing absolutes.
jcc’ll put your feet to the fire (in a manner of speaking, LOL).
Slimmins:
Hey, my BIL started in on Xmas night, my fault: I told him the difference between a wedding & a marriage: prompted “You mean we’re not married in the eyes of god?” [meaning my sis, of course], he’d had 1 too many, starting in w/this “I can’t imagine there’s nothing after all this, if I sat down & thought about it, I’d go INSANE”, yeesh, love the guy, but a few shots of dutch courage, & his philosophy pretty much goes the way of a dodo bird, ya ask me.
Oh, you didn’t. Sorry.
Anywhoways.
Wishing & hoping, not only for a New Year, but that we can all (as a species) evolve past the adolescent fantasies of Mankind’s youth, & reach out for the future.
Here’s to less Death, & more life, & light, & laughter, & love.
‘Cause it’s all we really got, ya know?
New Years starts early for ReluctantAtheist.
Slimmins:
Nah, it’s only 5:00 PM out here on the west coast.
& I don’t drink, so I cannae be blamin’ the grog on it.
TO ALL:
Well, this is going to be a tad odd, but stay w/me on this.
I don’t know if this’s been done before, but I’d like to make a (virtual) toast here.
When I 1st came to this blog, I was filled w/piss ‘n vinegar, ready to do battle w/the perceived enemy.
& that’s what this blog was all about, then. Venting, battles royale.
& then something changed. The tone, the anger, the bitterness.
Those are all still about, sure enough.
But 1 person came along, w/an open heart, & a willingness to talk, to dialogue, w/o anger or hatred, seeking to communicate w/the perceived ‘enemy’.
& it changed me a bit. I think perhaps it changed us all a little bit.
Perhaps w/o meaning to, in the interest of communication, the tone has changed here somewhat. To the point where newbie atheists, who are in that same state I was, lo these many mos. ago, are somewhat nonplussed. Puzzled. Sometimes outraged.
I speak, of course, of spanders.
Maybe I’m gettin’ a little maudlin in me middle-age, but it’s something indeed, to behold, that 1 person can make a difference, large or small.
Or maybe the theory of non-locality is applied on a broader spectrum than we know.
Be that as it may, I’d like to propose a toast, to spanders, a gentleman I’m proud to call friend, who taught me that not all Xtians are the enemy.
Or, as Pogo so aptly put it: “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
So, a touch to the brim, a wink, & a tip of the glass to you, me friend.
& thanks.
(Normally scheduled programming will now resume).
L’Chaim!
Spanders has been polite. I raise my glass of grape juice to Spanders also. He’s not an antagonist and I find that very civil and respectful.
I fixed myself a wee drink and finished off the 5th of whiskey that I’ve had since this time last year. Probably only half a shot left in her, so it really is a wee one. So I too will lift my cup to spanders, and to all the other near and dear friends here on the blog who have made my life more bearable in the last 4-5 months.
I came here looking for company, more than a fight, and was blessed with both. More than that, I’ve had quite an education so far!
There’s that awful word, blessed. But you know what I mean, and you know what I don’t mean. So xians out there, don’t go running away with the term.
So here’s to all of us, especially Dave, for getting it going. Let’s keep it going and find a way to start a movement. No more fiber though. I don’t need any of that.
Well done, Spanders.
I’ll toast Spanders, with a bit of Makers on one ice cube.
Well i think i will toast every one here but it has to be with mt dew i am at work all night from 11:00 to 7:00
so i cant even go out and pour one on
Hey Reluctant, I responded, but in the wrong post, so I’ll do so again here. Thanks for the toast! The feeling is mutual. I hope to make a difference and I think you do so as well. I think we all contribute in some way. Much appreciated Karen, atheiststatic and rosemary. To you as well
.
spanders:
Well met, my gracious friend.
Still haven’t got to the book, am reading ‘Lies my Teacher told me’.
Will get to the ‘dummies’ book soon, Cub Scout’s honor (They wouldn’t take me into Boy Scouts, wouldn’t ya know it!).
Wow, I came in late. First I have to say it, isn’t Christian Science an oxymoron? O.K. I said it. These occurences are more common than you think, some of them are not fatal (the ones I have been involved in weren’t obviously) but I was burned with a lighter and the person got a month in prision, while I was in the hospital with third degree burns. Gee, I felt like justice has been served. The insanity defense for this trial is nothing but a joke to educated people, but alas the jury probably won’t be. Listen to these statistics 50% of Americans don’t know that the Earth revolves around the sun and takes a year to do it, while 51% of Americans, as stated in an article where a link was provided but an actual figure was not given, believe that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old. I personally just see this as pathetic…
-J?r?me
I ment had, sorry, it was a typo.
-J?r?me
easy 24 gauge wire earrings
easy 24 gauge wire earrings